Ballina was battered by fierce winds and icy temperatures on Wednesday in what many locals are calling the coldest winter day in years.
The wild weather, driven by an intense low-pressure system off the coast, brought strong gusts that reached over 100 km/h in parts of the Northern Rivers.
In Ballina the winds hit more than 90 km/h along the Richmond River, forcing SES and emergency crews into action before sunrise and triggering a dramatic maritime rescue.
Around 1pm, a 13-metre catamaran broke free from its mooring in front of the trawler harbour and began drifting down the Richmond River, pushed along by the ferocious westerly winds.
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A NSW Maritime vessel happened to be on patrol and reached the catamaran moments before it would have collided with the shoreline.
The Maritime officer quickly attached a line and tried to divert the boat, but the sea was too choppy to maintain control.
The boat’s owner was contacted and arrived quickly, and an urgent call for assistance was made to Marine Rescue Ballina.
Captain Geoff Hutchinson and crew member Bill responded in BA30, arriving just in time. Working in tandem with the Maritime vessel, they secured the catamaran and towed it safely to a mooring.
“If it wasn’t for the quick actions and professionalism of the crews from Maritime and Marine Rescue, the outcome may have been a lot different,” a Marine Rescue spokesperson said.
Power and emergency response
On land, the SES responded to 17 incidents across the Ballina Shire, including roof damage and fallen trees.
While the region avoided the worst of the rain and flooding that hit the South Coast, local SES volunteers have since been deployed to help in those hard-hit areas.
Essential Energy confirmed more than 600 homes across the Northern Rivers were without power due to fallen powerlines. At the height of the storm, more than 7,000 homes across the state were impacted.
The mercury hovered around 13°C for much of the morning, but the wind chill made it feel closer to 8°C. The temperatures were cold enough to see snow fall across the Barrington Tops, where Tasmanian devils at the Aussie Ark sanctuary were pictured frolicking in the snow.
“It felt like the icy winds were coming straight from there,” one local said, having swapped the usual thongs for runners and pulling a puffer jacket from the back of the wardrobe.
The day’s official high of 16°C was still more than four degrees below average for June in Ballina — and it still felt like only 11 with the wind chill factored in.
Warnings remain in place
A Severe Weather Warning remained in place for parts of the Northern Rivers on Wednesday evening, especially in elevated areas. A strong wind warning is also in effect for the coastal fringe.
Conditions are expected to ease today, with mostly sunny skies and a return to a more typical top of 20°C. Hardened locals may get to pull the thongs back out – or maybe not just yet.
Main image: Tassie Devil at home in the snow Credit: 7 News/ Aussie Ark
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